The Gribbin

27 Oct, 2011
· 265 Words

There’s no hiding musicianship. Lock it up, put it in a box, or — crucially — ply it with significant quantities of drink … still it will shine through. There’s something immutable about musicianship that means that a bottle of Pimms and and half a bottle of whiskey later, it still keeps on playing.

It was in circumstances such as these that The Gribbin came together for the first — and last — time. In the heady days of 2006, _The Pimms Sessions_ were recorded in a murky studio in scenic Oxford and (and subsequently presented to the unsuspecting, and arguably undeserving world).

What started out as an innocent drink with instruments turned into a spectacle the like of which had never before been seen, and in probability never again shall be. The Pimms Sessions, which lasted seven hours and terminated in the small hours, mercifully were recorded. These recordings have met with acclaim, amongst other things.

This performance, entirely improvised — sometimes solo, sometimes duet, at one point _even quartet_ — has never been replicated. But how can _only two_ individuals play the fiddle, accordion, xylophone and drums simultaneously? You may well ask; indeed it is question that has been pondered many a time by the performers themselves. All we know is that it happened.

It is without shame that we present to you some precious recordings that have already stood the test of time. We trust that MP3 format is acceptable.